The Accused (Modern Plays) Read online

  Kersley So, after Mr Sherwood had made love to you, did he eventually leave?

  Mitchell Yes, it must have been about three in the morning.

  Kersley And how did he treat you the following day?

  Mitchell He was very courteous and professional during ward rounds, but that changed when he asked me to join him in his office.

  Kersley Why, what happened, Ms Mitchell?

  Mitchell As soon as I walked in, he pulled me towards him and started to undo my uniform. I warned him that anyone might come in.

  Kersley What did he say to that?

  Mitchell He didn’t, he just smiled and locked the door.

  Kersley And did he continue to try to undress you?

  Mitchell Yes, we ended up making love on his couch.

  Kersley And did this become a regular occurrence?

  Mitchell Oh, yes. After that, Patrick would often turn up late at night, explaining that he told Elizabeth he was out visiting a patient. He made love with such a passion that I was convinced he no longer had a sexual relationship with his wife.

  Kersley And how long did this affair go on for?

  Mitchell About three months.

  Kersley And he asked you to pick up the prescriptions from Wellingborough soon after you started sleeping with him?

  Mitchell Within days. But by then Patrick knew only too well that I nearly always visited my parents at the weekend.

  Kersley And were these prescriptions ever made out for Mrs Sherwood?

  Mitchell No, they were all for private patients.

  Kersley Can you recall the date of the first one?

  Mitchell Yes. It was about three months before his wife died.

  Kersley How can you be so sure?

  Mitchell Because I made a diary entry that Patrick had given me a ten-pound note to cover the cost, and there was four pounds change, which I returned to him on the Monday morning.

  Kersley But if you were so surprised to be asked to carry out Mr Sherwood’s instructions, why didn’t you report your misgivings to anyone in authority?

  Mitchell Because by then I’d fallen in love with him.

  Kersley And did he ever give any hint that he might have fallen in love with you?

  Mitchell Oh, yes. Patrick regularly told me he was sick of his wife, and he couldn’t wait to be rid of her so he could spend the rest of his life with me. He hated the way she constantly belittled him in front of the staff. He even talked about moving out of Arcadia Mansions, finding a larger apartment and starting a family. I didn’t take it too seriously to begin with. But then one night he proposed.

  Kersley He asked you to marry him?

  Mitchell Yes, he did.

  Kersley While his wife was still alive?

  Mitchell Yes, it was after we’d made love - I’ll never forget it, because he left a few minutes later.

  Kersley So would that have been around three in the morning?

  Mitchell No, just after ten.

  Kersley But you told the court that he usually left around three in the morning, so that no one would realise you were having an affair.

  Mitchell Yes, but that night he told me he had to visit a patient in Westminster and he would come back later, which puzzled me.

  Kersley Why did it puzzle you, Ms Mitchell?

  Mitchell Because he didn’t have his doctor’s bag with him.

  Kersley And did he come back later?

  Mitchell Yes, a few minutes after eleven.

  Kersley And did you notice any change in him when he returned?

  Mitchell Yes, he seemed very nervous. And when I asked if there was a problem, he told me that the patient had died.

  Kersley He told you that the patient had died?

  Mitchell Yes, I tried to calm him, but he just paced around the room mumbling to himself and then suddenly left without warning.

  Kersley And did he ever raise the subject of marriage again?

  Mitchell No. Once his wife had died, Patrick refused even to speak to me.

  Kersley But this was the man who had regularly shared your bed and even asked you to be his wife.

  Mitchell Yes. (Near to tears.) Which is why it came as such a terrible shock when he dropped me without any warning. Of course, relationships can come to an end, but that doesn’t mean you can’t remain on good terms.

  Kersley But you did attend Mrs Sherwood’s funeral?

  Mitchell Yes, but Patrick ignored me and didn’t even invite me back to his flat to join the other guests.

  Kersley Was there anything else you can remember about the funeral?

  Mitchell Yes, I was surprised that Mrs Sherwood was cremated and it made me anxious for the first time.

  Kersley What were you anxious about?

  Mitchell Well, I began to wonder if Patrick was making sure that no one could ever check what had caused the bruising on her arm.

  Sherwood half rises, catches Judge’s eye and sits back down.

  Barrington My Lord, this is a disgraceful slur on my client. There is absolutely no proof that…

  Judge I agree, Sir James. The jury will disregard Ms Mitchell’s last statement. Ms Mitchell, this court is not interested in your opinions, only in facts. And Mr Kersley, you are as much to blame. You must have known only too well where that question was leading.

  Kersley I did, My Lord, but then I considered Mrs Sherwood’s cremation to be a fact, and one the jury might even find relevant.

  Judge Mr Kersley, you are bordering on impertinence. Stick to facts in future.

  Kersley Ms Mitchell, is it a fact that while you continued working at St George’s Mr Sherwood began to threaten you?

  Mitchell Yes, he did. When I raised the subject of the prescriptions he flew into a rage, warning me that if I mentioned them to anyone, not only would I lose my job at St George’s but he would personally make sure that no other hospital would ever employ me again.

  Kersley So you decided to leave St George’s.

  Mitchell I didn’t have a lot of choice, as he’d made it abundantly clear that I had no hope of promotion while he remained the head of department.

  Kersley So what did you do next?

  Mitchell I resigned and took a short holiday abroad. While I was away, a vacancy arose at Wellingborough Cottage Hospital for the position of senior staff nurse. I was delighted when they offered me the post and hoped this would be my chance to start a new life.

  Kersley But that didn’t prove possible, did it, Ms Mitchell, because Mr Sherwood got in touch with you again. When was that?

  Mitchell It must have been about a month after I’d started my new job. He began phoning me at the hospital.

  Sherwood (rises) I never phoned you. I didn’t even know you’d got another job.

  Judge Mr Sherwood, this is the last time I shall warn you. If you interrupt again, I will have you taken below as long as Ms Mitchell remains in the witness box. Do I make myself clear?

  Sherwood Yes My Lord, but…

  Barrington My Lord, may I be allowed to have a word with the defendant?

  Judge For what purpose, Sir James?

  Barrington To leave Mr Sherwood in no doubt of the harm it will do his cause if he is unable to hear all the evidence offered by this particular witness.

  Judge Do you have any objection, Mr Kersley?

  Kersley If it means I can continue uninterrupted, My Lord, I would welcome it. However, it may be that these unseemly outbursts, repeated by Mr Sherwood at regular intervals despite Your Lordship’s continual warnings, will only serve to shed light on the character of the accused and thus assist the jury when the time comes to consider their verdict.

  Barrington My Lord, my learned friend can never resist making a speech and this one did indeed shed some light, if not on Mr Sherwood’s character, then on the Crown’s lack of any real evidence, which they try to cover up by resorting to personal abuse. However, I will have a word with my client My Lord, and warn him of the gravity of your words. (Barrington goes over to the dock.) Very